News Releases

The National Park Service (NPS) today announced the selection of Steve Theus as the new superintendent for Little River Canyon National Preserve and Russell Cave National Monument in Alabama, effective May 5.

The Independence Day weekend is one of the busiest weekends of the year at Little River Canyon National Preserve, and the National Park Service would like to give you the following tips to help you make your visit as enjoyable as possible.

After being closed for over 12 weeks, Canyon Mouth Park is set to re-open. Canyon Mouth Park is a popular picnicking, swimming, and kayaking location at the southern end of the park, where the Little River exits Little River Canyon and goes from whitewater rapids to a calm, serene river before exiting the park.

A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 650,000 visitors to Little River Canyon National Preserve in 2019 spent $38.7 million in communities near the park. That spending supported 598 jobs in the local area.

On the afternoon of Thursday, June 11, 2020, around 5:20 PM, an 18-year-old male from Jefferson County was floating on the river above Little River Falls with friends. The individual’s friends got off the river approximately 80 feet before the waterfall, but the individual was caught up in the current and last seen going over the waterfall and he never resurfaced from the pool below. First responders were immediately dispatched and on-scene within minutes and a search and rescue operation was initiated.

On the afternoon of Monday, May 25, 2020, Kenzie Wetzel, a 21-year-old female from Douglasville, GA,  was walking along the area above Little River Falls where she slipped on a rock, became caught up in the current, and was washed over the edge to the pool of water 35’ below. Wetzel was able to make her way to the rocks in the middle of the pool and await help. First responders were immediately dispatched and on-scene within minutes and a search and rescue operation was initiated.

On the afternoon of Sunday, May 24, 2020, around 2:15 PM, a 23-year-old male from out-of-state was swimming in the river at Little Falls near a group of friends. The individual was seen going below the water and he never resurfaced. First responders were immediately dispatched and on-scene within minutes and a search and rescue operation was initiated.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, May 19, 2020, around 2:15 PM, a 21-year-old female and a 19-year-old male, both from Cobb County, Georgia, were swimming in the swift waters in the pool beneath Little River Falls. Both individuals became caught up in the current; the female was able to escape, but the male did not resurface. First responders were immediately dispatched and on-scene within minutes and a search and rescue operation was initiated.

Memorial Day weekend is the busiest weekend of the year at Little River Canyon National Preserve, and the National Park Service would like to give you the following tips to help you make your visit as enjoyable as possible.

On the afternoon of Friday, April 3, 2020, a call was placed to 9-1-1 reporting a 33 year old male from Chilton County had gone underwater and not come back up while swimming on the Little River at Little River Canyon National Preserve. First responders were immediately dispatched an on-scene within minutes and a search and rescue operation was initiated.